Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s ‘Panic Moon’ is a Brilliant Workaround for the Switch’s Limitations

The Blood Moon’s return in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom served more than just an in-universe explanation for respawning enemies as its rarer counterpart the “Panic Moon” helped ensure the game wouldn’t be held back by the Switch itself. When Breath of the Wild first introduced the Blood Moon mechanic to players, it was an ideal blend of plausible storytelling and necessary gameplay mechanics all dramatically packaged with ominous music, visuals, and dialogue. As a core part of Breath of the Wild‘s system for replenishing enemy hordes, it seemed inevitable that Tears of the Kingdom would also include Blood Moons.